Running Total Collective Artist Debt

$55,212,069.84

Leslie M. Guzmán

Are you in debt How Did you get into Debt?

I’m in debt with school loans that I took out to finish my Bachelor’s degree. I’m realistic, I know I picked an art career for the love of it, not for the money. Yet I knew if I didn’t get a degree, there would be less doors open to me. I also wanted to be the first in my family in this country to obtain a college degree. I do not regret it; it hurts to think of how long it will take me to finish paying for it.

How do you make a living?

I have had a job lined up since I graduated from college a few months ago. Unfortunately, with the economic struggle of the world, businesses are going through their own issues. There have been delays and I’m still on hold for the the art job I was supposed to fall into after college. Rather than taking just any job, I’ve been patiently waiting the business delays. I want to be able to use my art degree that got me in debt with student loans to begin with.

I have been living on my husband’s income, with which we are ok financially. It would be great if I could pay for my own debt on my own. One income doesn't give much room for art expenses.

How does your debt affect your art practice?

Having student loans hanging over me like a stormy cloud makes me think that I should just go back to the real working world, which would mean little to no time for art. The same debt cloud makes me think of my artwork as a future debt payment rather than being able to freely create art not thinking of the outcome of having to sell it.

Knowing I have to pay monthly payments for huge school loans makes me sacrifice applying to art exhibits. Yet the constant dilemma: if I don’t apply to exhibits, how else will I have my work seen? It takes money to buy art supplies, enter art exhibits, and shipping the art to exhibits. But when you are on a fixed income, it limits what you can do, it’s either pay student loans or enter exhibits.